Heritage and gastronomy are two of Iloilo’s main attractions and one can experience both in just one setting – at the Camiña Balay nga Bato.
A LIVING MUSEUM
“Welcome and make yourselves feel at home” greets Luth Camiña. With husband Gerard, the couple are among the 4th generation descendants of the Avanceñas, and call this heritage house their home. It took them more than a decade to renovate the structure from its worn out state.
“The old house had sawali (bamboo weavings) for ceiling which we replaced with pressed tin sheets as it was a fire hazard” reveals Ms Luth. “We just retained some original structures like the windows with ventanillas (air vents), the escalera (ladder-like stairs) and the stilt-like pillars on the ground floor.”
Eugene Jamerlan, who worked with the Camiñas in the restoration explains that the number of these pillars was a status symbol back in the 19th century. “This house has a total of 24 pillars making the household among the affluent clan then” he says. Sir Eugene is a heritage conservation advocate and from time to time guides visitors in, around and up the house.
HOUSE TOUR
“The escalera was made this steep, almost at an angle of 45 degrees, so that anyone who goes up will bend their backs inwards giving the impression of “bowing” to the owners of the house” he explains at the foot of the ladder-like stairs. He also shared the fact that all the stairs in the vicinity of the district all face the same direction – towards the setting sun.
The grandeur of second floor is guarded by a huge door made from molave wood, hinged only at the top and bottom portions. Sir Eugene demonstrates how this nail-less door is locked through built in wooden bolts. He also points out the space beneath the door that acts as an offensive protection during the war. Intruders can be warded off by spears and other objects inserted below and causing bodily harm.
The oratoryo (prayer room) is room on the second floor to be seen as it sits fronting the stairs. It reveals antiques and religious images of the Sto. Nino, San Jose and many other saints.
Also in the room are very old prayer books too delicate so as even to turn a page, old furniture and cabinets. An
andador, an image of the Blessed Virgin still to be dressed up, used for religious occasions like Santacruzan.
The living room also boasts of antiques – from tables, chairs and cabinets to a grand piano which was a gift to the family’s matriarch, Rufina Avanceña. “Lola Rufina was headstrong woman who refused to use her husband’s surname until her death” reveals Camiña. She named the museum’s curio shop in her grandmother’s memory.
It offers a good view of the street through the large windows canopied to protect the interiors from direct sunlight. The pressed tin ceiling gives the grand sala a feel of luxury and a chandelier completes the effect of lavishness of the ancestral house.
There are also interesting items like a large compass, birthing chair and more antiques. And proof that the house is still a home are the presence of electric fans and flat screen television which the family uses at night.
What used to be the the dining room built in the 20th century now has become the hallway. A recent addition, just around two years ago has now become the the dining room that doubles as a receiving room or even a conference room when the need arises.
Known as the
azotea, it was built in what used to be the roof of the lower portion of the house. Despite its very young "age", people don't seem to notice as the transition from the 19th and 20th century architecture is seamless. "We practicality used parts of some house which was alread in the possession of the Camiñas" says Jamerlan who worked with Architect Johnny Liwanag on this project.
"For the flooring, we used Machuca-like tiles which gave it a sort of antique finish." he said. The private collection of vases and other antiques are showcased in the area giving the new space an old-world ambiance. Guests usually are surprised that this part of the house is merely 2 years old.
A CUP OF TSOKOLATE and MORE
“You can sit in a cafe in Brussels, Basel or Barcelona, try their hot chocolate and say, “Wala ba kayo noong tsokolate tablea sa Iloilo? With Alpine milk” writes popular writer Jessica Zafra in her blog
Jessica Rules the Universe. She declares it “
the best tsokolate in the world” as she could have been in a state of natural high. Who wouldn’t be? The tsokolate served at the Camiña Balay nga Bato is the “tsokolate E” variant (as in espeso which is thick in Spanish) as opposed to the “tsokolate A” which is watery or aguada.
Heated in a cast iron tsokolatera, the rich concoction consists of 4 rolls of tablea (20 pieces in all) dissolved in just almost half a liter of water.
It is then slowly boiled for about an hour and made creamier with milk. “And before we serve, we stir it the old fashioned way using a batirol made from guava tree wood” says Camiña. “The tannins in the guava gives the tsokolate a more brownish hue.”
“We also practice a suki system as we encourage the community to participate in this heritage gastronomic experience” shares Camiña. “We serve Pancit Molo and fresh lumpia from Capitan Ising in Molo, kutchinta and panara from Dac’s and biscuits from Panaderia de Iloilo – both just a few meters from us.”
Camiña Balay nga Bato also offers catered buffets. "For a minimum of 10 pax, we will treat you and your guests to a heritage buffet consisting of well-loved Ilonggo native cuisine" says Ms Luth. "Our specialty is the bino-ug nga baboy, which is salt-season slab of pork cooked the traditional Ilonggo grilling method". Other heritage dishes include fresh lumpia,
adobo nga takway, alugbati guisado,
hinaggop, embutido de Arevalo, kalkag rice and a whole lot more.
LOLA RUFINA CURIO SHOP
But best part of it all, is you can bring home “the tsokolate experience” for tsokolateras, batirols and tableas are for sale at the curio shop. There are also bottles of the Ilonggo spiced vinegar known as sinamak, budbud (a variety of dried using bamboo) and muscovado sugar among others.
Also on display in the former bodega turned into a showcase of interesting collections are antique vases, sandstone sculptures and painted ceramic plates plus trinkets like necklaces, bangles and jewelry boxes.
They also have native baskets, bags and slippers to cabinets, chairs and display tables. One can even bring home a tadyaw (large claypot used for storing water), a tuba-gathering paraphernalia or even a four-poster bed!
However, the highlighted products of the shop are the hand-woven fabrics like the hablon and patadyong. Visitors can actually see how these fabrics are made as weavers painstakingly thread the looms (weaving contraptions) and create intricate patterns for the fabrics right at the shop. “I searched and gathered weavers who used to work for Lola Rufina” says Camina. “Aside from giving them jobs, they were able to reconnect with their past and train the new generation for this craft.”
“These weavers at first were just making plain and simple patterns” also shares Jamerlan. ”But when I showed them some designs I got from online digital collection of the New York Public Library, they took the challenge and created livelier outputs.
Ready to wear barongs, baro’t saya and other wearables are also on display. There is even an authentic panay Bukidnon tribal costume on display. But the supply of these hablon and patadyong keeps on coming, newer designs and prints come in many forms vying for the buyers attention.
Opened to the public around 4 years ago, the Camiña Balay nga Bato in Arevalo showcases just a portion of the history and culture with a taste of the gastronomy of the Ilonggos. But its impact as a one of a kind tourist attraction showcasing the best of Iloilo, is as rich as the tsokolate it serves!
The Camiña Balay nga Bato is located at 20 Osmeña Street in Arevalo. It is open daily for The Tsokolate Experience for PhP150 (tsokolate and biscuits, no minimum, walk-ins are very much welcome); PhP200 (with Pancit Molo minimum of 5 persons) and PhP500up (for lunch or dinner with a minimum of 10pax).
